Meet the Board - 2022-2023

Ann B. Franklin

Ms. Ann B. Franklin

Madam Chair, North Buncombe District Representative
828-645-9325
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Beginning her service to the board in December of 2008, Ann Franklin is a retired 36-year veteran teacher of the Buncombe County School System. Ann taught at Haw Creek and Flat Creek Elementary Schools and served as a homebound teacher for seriously ill children throughout the county. She has worked for the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) serving educators in Asheville City and eight western counties. Ann attended schools in the North Buncombe District graduating from North Buncombe High School. She has a BA degree from Mars Hill College and a MAEd degree from Western Carolina University. Ann is currently serving on the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee, the Planning and Zoning Committee for the Town of Weaverville and is a member of Weaverville United Methodist Church.

Kim Plemmons

Ms. Kim Plemmons

Erwin District Representative
828-230-0253
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Kim has served on the board since December 2022. She retired as a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo in 2018. Most recently, she has served as a substitute teacher in the Erwin District. 

Kim grew up in Fairview and attended Reynolds High School. Her husband, Chip, is a graduate of Erwin High School, and they have two grown sons, Wes and Tyler, who also graduated from Erwin. Wes is a baseball coach at North Buncombe and is married to Lindsey who works in BCS. Kim and Chip also have two grandchildren, Lane and Banksley. 

Being involved in schools for years - including Emma PTO, Advisory Council, Erwin Booster Club, Buncombe County Teacher of the Year and WNC POY Committees - Kim is currently on the Buncombe County Schools Foundation Board, Mountain Child Advocacy Board, and she is a member of Children’s Welfare League. 

Kim enjoys watching Lane and Banksley play sports. She and Chip also like to spend time at the beach with their family. 

Amy Churchill

Ms. Amy Churchill

Vice-Chair, Roberson District Representative
828-687-0858
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Elected to the board in November 2012, Amy lives in Arden with her husband, Ben, and their daughter Madelyn, who graduated from Roberson High School in 2019 and is now a student at N.C. State. Amy is a graduate of Columbus State University and is a respiratory therapist at Mission Hospital. In her spare time, Amy enjoys volunteering in the schools and her church, running, and hiking in the beautiful mountains she now calls home.

Judy Lewis

Ms. Judy Lewis

Enka District Representative
828-365-8582
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Ms. Lewis was appointed by the Board of Education on June 1, 2022. She is a retired educator, who began her career as a secretary for Buncombe County Schools. She taught English for more than 20 years and served as Assistant Principal at Enka High. She has taught classes at A-B Tech and coordinated the Beginning Teacher programs for both Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools.

She is a member of the Advisory Council at Enka High and serves as a member of the A-B Tech Board of Trustees. Ms. Lewis is a graduate of Clyde A. Erwin High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English/Literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and her Master’s Degrees in Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Supervision from Western Carolina University.

Rob Elliot

Mr. Rob Elliot

Reynolds District Representative
828-222-4874
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Elected to the Board of Education in November 2022, Rob Elliot is the proud father of two Buncombe County Schools students and husband of a Reynolds High School alumna. Professionally, Rob is a North Carolina Registered Forester with a 20-year career in forest science, forest management, and the wood products industry. Rob has served as the President of Fairview Elementary PTA, Advocacy Chair for Cane Creek Middle PTA, and the Rocket Launch Co-Chair for Reynolds High School PTSO. From 2017-2019, Rob was elected to serve on the Board of Directors at the state level for NC PTA. He currently serves on the Curriculum Advisory Committee for Haywood Community College and on the Executive and Education Committees for the NC Forestry Association. Rob graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School (1995), earned a BS in Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill (1999), and holds a MS in Forestry from Virginia Tech (2006). Rob and his family enjoy playing sports of all kinds and also love to spend time outdoors hiking, kayaking, and exploring the abundant natural beauty of Western North Carolina.

Margaret (Peggy) Buchanan

Margaret (Peggy) Buchanan

Owen District Representative
828-778-0920
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Peggy Buchanan was born and raised in upper state New York and moved to North Carolina in 1964. After graduating from Asheville High, she joined the workforce, married, and had four children- three by adoption and one naturally. In 1979, Mrs. Buchanan attended A-B Tech and obtained an Associate Degree in Nursing, leading her toward work in nursing, hospital nursing, in a doctor's office and with Head Start. In 1995, she was ordained as a Vocational Deacon in the Episcopal Church. She served at St. James in Black Mountain for five years and has served at Trinity Episcopal for the past 16 years, focusing her ministry in three primary areas: a) teaching Education for Ministry- a 4-year course at the University of the South, b) Senior Citizen Group, and c) Church of the Advocate- a ministry for the homeless. Within the homeless ministry, she established a nurse's station and meets weekly with the congregation to provide solutions for critical health needs and education. Mr. John Buchanan, Peggy's husband, is a retired principal who worked for over 30 years at the Juvenile Evaluation Center in Swannanoa. Together, they have five grandchildren- natural, step, and adopted, and live in Black Mountain with their "four-legged children": Phoebe, a border collie, and a "very opinionated" cat.

Amanda Simpkins

Amanda Simpkins

At-Large Representative
828-713-4342
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Elected in 2020, Amanda Simpkins works as a Realtor® with Coldwell Banker King. She was born and raised in Buncombe County and is a proud Erwin High School graduate who went on to play college volleyball at Eastern Connecticut State University. Amanda began her professional career as a high school mathematics educator and volleyball and basketball coach at Erwin High School in 2007. She taught for almost 10 years and coached for 15 years combined at Erwin, North Buncombe, and Biltmore Volleyball Academy. She holds an undergraduate degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Asheville (2006) and an MBA in Finance from Fayetteville State University (2019). Amanda has two children- Rylie, a 2021 Nesbitt Discovery Academy graduate and Kayson, a current Glen Arden student. Her husband, Matt, is also a Buncombe County Schools alumnus. She enjoys spending time with her two dogs and cat, Chex, Boomer, and Katniss. She also has a passion for playing volleyball, coaching her youngest in various sports, and exploring all the amazing restaurants Asheville and WNC offer.